Author

Subject: Golf

John

20:06 10/07/2000 

I was at the golf club that I belonged to many years ago, wanting the golf pro to play a few holes with me to show me what I was doing wrong.

He insisted on a session on the practice ground first. I told him I could be within 5 metres of my target. I went down to the practice ground and laid out a rope in a 5 metre diameter circle. I hit 9,7,5 and 3 irons into the circle.

We went to the 10th tee and I hit a bad slice, and said I felt I was holding my arms too stiff at the shoulders He said "No, you are keeping your back to the target too long". After that everything went great for the next four holes played.

Dream edited for easier reading - JT, 2005

Jane Anderson

08:13 12/07/2000 

Hi John,

Sometimes we go back in time in a dream (the golf club you belonged to many years ago) to compare where we're at now to where we were at then.

For example, there may have been an unresolved issue around the golf club, a lesson learned back in those days, a different way of being and so on. In such dreams we look to solve current problems or issues by comparing notes to previous times.

Your problem was that you knew you were doing "something wrong". You told this to the golf professional. The point of the dream story was to consult a professional in the 'game' to find out why you currently get so close to the target (5 metres) and yet don't quite get there.

Ask yourself what it is, in your life now, that you feel you get so close to, but don't fully reach. This could be in your work, personal or any other aspect of your waking life. Your answer is most probably the problem your dream is seeking to solve.

Golf is a game, a competition. Life can be seen as a game, a set of rules, role playing. However the golf game probably represents skills and competition.

5 metres could be significant. Think in terms of: $5,000; 5 months, 5 years .... blitz your mind on 5. The dream is suggesting you feel you get within 5 'somethings' of your target ... What happened to you 5 years ago?

Then do the same for the 9, 7, 5 and 3 ... although also think about what these irons represent in the game of golf. The word 'irons' is interesting: you could be 'ironing' out this problem in your dream.

Then think about the tenth tee. What happened when you were ten? What does ten mean? $10,000; 10 years ago, ....? How can you relate the number ten with a 'bad slice' in your waking life? The dream may be reflecting this and drawing your attention to it.

You felt you were keeping your arms too stiff at the shoulders. Symbolically our arms can represent how we hold and embrace life and our shoulders can represent our responsibities (we talk, in waking life, about 'shouldering responsibilities'). So your question in the dream could be seen as, "Is the problem that I'm carrying too much responsibility and not freely embracing more in my world?" Or, "Am I paying the game of work/life too tight?"

However the dream professional's answer was "no". He told you that you keep your back to the target too long. Now this could look as if you don't focus on your goal (back to the target). However it may also be that the real message is that you have been "looking backwards" for too long, instead of "looking forwards". In dreams, what is behind us often symbolises our past. So having your back to the target could suggest you are aiming for a target which you are looking at through eyes of the past. The thing is to reframe how you see your target, perhaps, and then aim for it in a new light.

For example, you may be seeing your current waking life target misted and clouded by what happened when you went through a 'bad slice' in your life 10 years/months (whatever) ago. You can't reach a clouded target. Letting go of the past and turning round to face the target in a new light, released from past negative experiences, is the way to go.

You took his point in the dream and played the next four holes fine. Four can symbolise practicality (four corners in a square) .. but here you started the dream only able to get to 5 metres .. and after the problem was resolved you played the last 4 holes fine. i.e. 5,4,3,2,1 .. goal!

John, play around with these ideas, answer the questions and I think you'll find the meaning of your dream and your solution.

By the way, everyone in a dream is an aspect of the self, so that clever golf professional is you too.

Let us know how you go!

Jane Anderson

John

10:41 16/07/2000 

Dear Jane, WOW. And I thought it was just a dream about golf, and how I could play better. The first thing that happened as I read your reply was a strong feeling of emotion, (especially at the 5,4, etc) but haven't been able to identify which one. My strongest feeling has been about "keeping my back to the target". Initially I thought of fear of failure, but later the thought of fear of success, which surprised me. Why fear success? Maybe because of the resposnsibility that it would bring with it. Maybe because of some as yet unidentified negative impact, I don't know. In waking golf, to be able to consistently get within a 5 metre circle of the target is something to be disired, especially the same target, from the same starting point, with a 9 iron and a 3 iron, which have very different characteristics. I have thought about the numbers, and nothing of significance has come to mind. Although the tenth tee is very elevated from the fairway. My initial thought about that tee was that it is the nearest to the practice ground, but the 9th is just as near but is played up hill. Is that "all down hill from now" in as much as the hard work has been done? I have often thought, in the past, that I have always had to wait for the important things I wanted. Maybe I am still waiting, and not doing something (but I don't know what I should be doing) to get to my target. Phew, that's all for now. Many, many thanks for your reply. I feel that there is still a lot for me to work through yet. I'll get back to you if there is a sudden blinding light.